JP7310755B2 - car wash machine - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a car wash machine equipped with a vehicle shape sensor for detecting vehicle shape.

A conventional car wash machine installed at a gas station or the like is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This car wash machine has a gate-shaped car wash machine body that reciprocates in the front-rear direction with respect to the vehicle to be washed. The car wash machine body is provided with an upper surface washing brush, a side surface washing brush, a sprinkler nozzle, a drying nozzle, and a vehicle shape sensor.

The upper surface washing brush is provided so as to be able to move up and down, and rotates and slides on the upper surface of the vehicle to be washed. The side cleaning brushes are provided to be horizontally movable, and rotate and slide along the side surfaces and front and rear surfaces of the vehicle to be cleaned. The water nozzle sprays washing water toward the vehicle to be washed. The drying nozzle jets airflow toward the vehicle to be washed to dry the vehicle. The vehicle shape sensor detects the side projection shape of the vehicle to be washed.

In the car wash machine configured as described above, when car washing is started, the car wash machine main body moves toward the rear of the vehicle to be washed, and washing water is sprayed from the water spray nozzle. The vehicle shape sensor detects the shape of the vehicle to be washed by moving the body of the car wash machine. The upper surface washing brush moves up and down along the vehicle to be washed based on the detection result of the vehicle shape sensor to wash the upper surface of the vehicle to be washed. The side washing brush slides on the side of the vehicle to be washed, and moves left and right along the front and rear surfaces of the vehicle based on the detection result of the vehicle shape sensor to wash the front, rear and side surfaces of the vehicle.

Also, if the vehicle to be cleaned is a taxi, a company name display lamp is provided at the center of the roof. When the vehicle shape sensor detects a projection of a predetermined shape on the roof, it is determined that it is a company name indicator light, and the upper cleaning brush avoids the company name indicator light to clean the roof. As a result, damage to the company name display lamp can be prevented.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-13134 (pages 2 to 7, Fig. 1)

Conventionally, sedan-shaped taxis have been popular, but in recent years, tall wagon-shaped taxis have become popular. Tall wagon type taxis may have company name lights attached to the front and rear ends of the roof. At this time, the front company name indicator lamp is attached to the inclined portion of the boundary between the front window and the roof, and the rear company name indicator lamp is attached to the inclined portion of the boundary between the rear window and the roof. For this reason, the amount of upward projection of the company name indicator lamp from the roof is small, and the vehicle shape sensor may not be able to detect the company name indicator lamp. As a result, the upper surface cleaning brush slides against the company name indicator lamp without avoiding it, and there is a risk of damaging the company name indicator lamp.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a car washing machine capable of preventing breakage of a company name indicator lamp.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a car wash machine main body which moves in the longitudinal direction relative to a vehicle to be washed, a rotating shaft which is arranged in the lateral direction, and which is supported by the car wash machine main body so as to be able to move up and down. A top brush for washing the upper surface of the vehicle to be washed, a vehicle shape sensor attached to the car wash machine body for detecting the shape of the vehicle, a taxi determination unit for determining whether the vehicle to be washed is a taxi or not, and the vehicle to be washed is a taxi. a vehicle type determination unit that determines the vehicle type based on the detection result of the vehicle shape sensor in the case of
When the determination result of the vehicle type determination unit is the first vehicle type, the front end portion and the rear end portion of the roof of the vehicle to be cleaned are washed by the first washing pattern with a high load by the top brush, and the cleaning is performed more than the first washing pattern. A first washing mode for washing the central portion of the roof of the vehicle to be washed by the second washing pattern with a low load by the top brush, and a front end portion of the roof of the vehicle to be washed by the second washing pattern in the case of a second vehicle type. and a second cleaning mode for cleaning the rear end.

Further, according to the present invention, in the car wash machine having the above structure, the vehicle shape sensor is arranged closer to the inlet surface side of the car wash machine main body than the top brush, and the vehicle type discriminating unit is located in front of the front end of the roof of the vehicle to be washed. It is characterized in that the type of vehicle to be washed is discriminated based on the shape.

Further, in the car wash machine of the present invention having the above configuration, the vehicle type discrimination unit has a length in the front-rear direction from the fender mirror of the vehicle to be washed to the front end of the front window, and a length in the front-rear direction from the front end of the vehicle to be washed to the front end of the front window. Length, height of the rear edge of the bonnet of the vehicle to be washed, height of the rear edge of the front window of the vehicle to be washed, length in the longitudinal direction from the front edge of the vehicle to be washed to the rear edge of the front window, fender mirror of the vehicle to be washed The type of vehicle to be washed is determined based on at least one of the heights of the upper end.

Further, according to the present invention, in the car wash machine having the above configuration, the vehicle type identification unit has a length of 200 to 660 mm in the front-rear direction from the fender mirror of the vehicle to be washed to the front end of the front window. The length to the front end of the window in the front-rear direction is 800-1000 mm, the height of the rear end of the bonnet of the vehicle to be washed is 1000-1200 mm, and the height of the rear end of the front window of the vehicle to be washed is 1430-1670 mm. at least one of the following: the length in the longitudinal direction from the front end of the vehicle to be washed to the rear end of the front window is 1500 to 1800 mm; and the height of the upper end of the fender mirror of the vehicle to be washed is 1070 to 1200 mm. It is characterized in that it is determined to be the second vehicle type when the condition is satisfied.

Further, in the car wash machine of the present invention having the above configuration, the vehicle type discrimination unit has a length in the front-rear direction from the fender mirror of the vehicle to be washed to the front end of the front window, and a length in the front-rear direction from the front end of the vehicle to be washed to the front end of the front window. The type of vehicle to be cleaned is determined based on the length, the height of the rear end of the bonnet of the vehicle to be cleaned, and the height of the rear end of the front window of the vehicle to be cleaned.

Further, in the car wash machine of the present invention configured as described above, the taxi determination unit determines that the vehicle to be washed is a taxi when the vehicle shape sensor detects the fender mirrors, and determines that the vehicle to be washed is a taxi when the fender mirrors are not detected by the vehicle shape sensor. is determined not to be a taxi.

In the car wash machine of the present invention configured as described above, an operation unit for accepting a car wash is provided, and a fender mirror button for indicating that a fender mirror is provided is provided in the operation unit, and the taxi discrimination unit includes: The vehicle to be cleaned is determined to be a taxi when the fender mirror button is operated, and the vehicle to be cleaned is determined not to be a taxi when the fender mirror button is not operated.

Further, the present invention provides the car wash machine configured as described above, which includes an operation unit for accepting a car wash, and a taxi button for indicating that the vehicle to be washed is a taxi. The vehicle to be cleaned is determined to be a taxi when the taxi button is operated, and the vehicle to be cleaned is determined not to be a taxi when the taxi button is not operated.

Further, according to the present invention, in the car wash machine having the above configuration, the second washing pattern has a larger vertical distance between the rotating shaft of the top brush and the vehicle to be washed than the first washing pattern. It is characterized in that the number of revolutions is low or the running speed of the car wash machine main body is low.

Further, in the car wash machine having the above configuration, when the vehicle shape sensor detects a protruding object in the central portion of the roof of the vehicle to be washed, the central portion of the roof of the vehicle to be washed is washed in the second washing pattern in the second washing mode. It is characterized by washing with

Further, the present invention provides a car wash machine configured as described above, further comprising: a side brush supported by the car wash machine main body so as to be horizontally movable with a rotating shaft arranged in the vertical direction, and for washing the side and rear surfaces of the vehicle to be washed; The side brushes can be switched between an upright state in which the rotating shaft is arranged substantially vertically and an inclined state in which the lower part is tilted backward,
The rear surface of the vehicle to be washed is washed in the inclined state, and the distance between the rotating shaft of the side brush and the rear surface of the vehicle to be washed is larger in the second washing mode than in the first washing mode.

Further, the present invention provides a car wash machine configured as described above, further comprising a side brush supported by the car wash machine main body so as to be horizontally movable with a rotating shaft disposed in the vertical direction, and for washing the side and rear surfaces of the vehicle to be washed, The side brush can be switched between an upright state in which the rotating shaft is arranged substantially vertically and an inclined state in which the lower part is tilted backward,
In the first washing mode, the rear surface of the vehicle to be washed is washed in the inclined state, and in the second washing mode, the rear surface of the vehicle to be washed is washed in the standing state.

Further, the present invention provides a car wash machine configured as described above, further comprising a side brush supported by the car wash machine main body so as to be horizontally movable with a rotating shaft disposed in the vertical direction, and for washing the side and rear surfaces of the vehicle to be washed, The side brush is characterized in that, in the second washing mode, the number of revolutions of the side brush is made smaller than that in the first washing mode to wash the rear surface of the vehicle to be washed.

According to the present invention, when the vehicle to be cleaned is a taxi of the first type, the central portion of the roof is cleaned with the second cleaning pattern with a low load by the top brush. Further, when the vehicle to be washed is a taxi of the second type, the front and rear ends of the roof are washed with the second washing pattern. Therefore, damage to the company name indicator lamp can be prevented.

1 is a side view showing a car wash machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a front view showing a car wash machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a side view showing the first forward process of the car wash machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 3 is a flow chart showing the operation of the taxi discrimination process of the car wash machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 3 is a flow chart showing the operation of vehicle type discrimination processing of the car wash machine of the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a side view showing the first outward process for non-taxi of the car wash machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a side view showing a first outward process of the car wash machine of the first embodiment of the present invention for a taxi of the first vehicle type; FIG. 2 is a side view showing the first return process of the car wash machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a side view showing the second forward process of the car wash machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention; A flow chart showing the operation of the taxi discrimination process of the car wash machine of the second embodiment of the present invention.

<First embodiment>
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are a side view and a front view showing a car wash machine 1 of the first embodiment. The car wash machine 1 has a car wash machine body 2, a rail 60 and a remote panel 7. - 特許庁The car wash machine main body 2 is formed in a gate shape having two left and right stand portions 2d facing each other and a ceiling portion 2c connecting the upper ends of the stand portions 2d.

A pair of left and right rails 60 are provided on the ground L, and wheels 3 provided on the bottom surface of the stand portion 2 d are arranged on the rails 60 . As a result, the car wash machine main body 2 is erected on the rails 60 and travels on the rails 60 by being driven by a travel motor (not shown) to move in the longitudinal direction with respect to the vehicle 70 to be washed.

The remote panel 7 is arranged along the approach route to the car wash machine main body 2 . The remote panel 7 has a plurality of buttons, sets car wash conditions, and accepts car wash. In addition, the remote panel 7 can be used to set equipment such as front guard, fender pole, side mirror, rear wiper, roof carrier, and the like.

An operation panel 8 is arranged in front of one stand portion 2 d of the car wash machine main body 2 . As with the remote panel 7, the operation panel 8 sets the car wash conditions and accepts the car wash. The remote panel 7 and the operation panel 8 constitute an operation unit for accepting a car wash.

The car wash machine main body 2 is provided with a plurality of rotating brushes for sliding and brushing the vehicle 70 to be washed. A rotating brush consists of a top brush 4, a side brush 5 and a rocker brush 6. - 特許庁

The top brush 4 is provided on the ceiling portion 2c so as to be able to move up and down, and rotates on a rotating shaft arranged in the left-right direction to wash the upper surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed. The side brushes 5 are provided on the side of the exit surface 2b of both stand portions 2d so as to move forward and backward in the left-right direction and rotate on rotating shafts arranged in the vertical direction to wash the front, both side and rear surfaces of the vehicle 70 to be washed. The rocker brushes 6 are provided at the lower portions of both stand portions 2d so as to be able to advance and retreat in the left-right direction, and wash the lower portions of both side surfaces of the vehicle 70 to be washed.

Further, the side brush 5 can be switched between an upright state in which the rotating shaft is arranged substantially vertically and an inclined state in which the lower side is inclined toward the entrance surface 2a by a predetermined angle (for example, 15°) with respect to the vertical. When washing the rear surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed, the side brushes 5 are switched to an inclined state and arranged along the inclination of the rear surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed. As a result, the cleaning power for the rear surface of the vehicle 70 to be cleaned can be improved.

A blower 20 for generating an airflow is arranged on the upper part of the car wash machine main body 2 . The blower 20 is connected to a plurality of air blowing nozzles for blowing air toward the vehicle 70 to be washed. The blower nozzles consist of top blower nozzles 21 and side blower nozzles 22 .

The top air blowing nozzle 21 is provided on the ceiling part 2c so as to be able to move up and down, moves along the upper surface and the rear surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed, and blows air to dry the upper surface and the rear surface. The side air blowing nozzles 22 are provided on both stand portions 2d, respectively, and blow air to dry the side surfaces of the vehicle 70 to be washed.

A vehicle shape sensor 9 is provided on both stand portions 2d of the car wash machine body 2 closer to the entrance surface 2a than the top brush 4 is. The vehicle shape sensor 9 is formed by a multi-optical axis photoelectric sensor arranged vertically. That is, the vehicle shape sensor 9 is formed by vertically arranging light emitting elements on one stand portion 2d and by vertically arranging light receiving elements on the other stand portion 2d. As a result, the vehicle 70 to be washed blocks the light emitted from the light emitting element as the car wash machine main body 2 moves, and the shape of the vehicle 70 projected from the side is detected. The vehicle shape sensor 9 may be formed by an ultrasonic sensor or the like.

The stand portion 2d is provided with a tank storage portion 30 for storing a plurality of liquid storage tanks (not shown) storing various liquid agents such as detergents and coating agents. A distribution pipe section 31 is provided above the tank storage section 30 for distributing city water and the liquid agent from each liquid storage tank. Detergent nozzle 11, water nozzles 12, 13 and 15, and coat nozzles 41 and 42 are led out to distribution pipe section 31 via electromagnetic valves (not shown), respectively.

The detergent nozzles 11 are provided at a plurality of locations in the left-right direction of the ceiling portion 2c, and are also provided at both stand portions 2d (not shown). A detergent nozzle 11 is arranged between the inlet surface 2a and the top brush 4, and sprays an aqueous detergent solution.

Water nozzles 12, 13, and 15 are provided at a plurality of locations in the left-right direction of the ceiling portion 2c, and are also provided at both stand portions 2d (not shown). A water nozzle 12 is arranged between the detergent nozzle 11 and the inlet face 2a. A water nozzle 13 is arranged between the top brush 4 and the outlet surface 2b. A water nozzle 15 is arranged between the water nozzle 13 and the outlet surface 2b.

The water nozzles 12 , 13 , 15 spray washing water made of city water onto the vehicle 70 to be washed. The water nozzles 12, 13, and 15 wash the vehicle 70 to be washed with water, and also rinse the vehicle 70 with detergent and a coating agent, which will be described later.

The coat nozzles 41 and 42 are provided at a plurality of locations in the left-right direction of the ceiling portion 2c, and are also provided at both stand portions 2d (not shown). The coating nozzles 41 and 42 inject an aqueous solution of a coating agent for coating the painted surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed. The coat nozzle 41 is arranged at substantially the same position as the detergent nozzle 11 in the front-rear direction. A coat nozzle 42 is arranged between the water nozzles 13 , 15 .

In the car wash machine 1 configured as described above, the user drives the vehicle 70 to be washed to stop in front of the remote panel 7 and sets the washing conditions for the vehicle 70 to be washed from within the vehicle 70 to be washed. After setting the car wash conditions, the user moves the vehicle to be washed 70 to a predetermined washing start position.

By operating the remote panel 7, a washing course, a shampoo course, and a coating course can be selected. In the washing course, rotating brushes are rotated to jet washing water of city water from water nozzles 12, 13 and 15 to wash the vehicle 70 to be washed. In the shampoo course, the rotary brush is rotated to jet washing water containing detergent from the detergent nozzle 11 to wash the vehicle 70 to be washed. At this time, city water is sprayed from the water nozzles 12 and 13 to pre-wash and rinse the vehicle 70 to be washed. In the coating course, the vehicle to be washed 70 is washed in the same manner as the shampoo course, and then the vehicle to be washed 70 is coated with a coating agent.

3 and 6 to 9 are side views showing the shampoo course car wash state. When the shampoo course is selected and the car wash is started, as shown in FIG. 3, the car wash machine body 2 moves behind the vehicle 70 to be washed (arrow H1) at a predetermined running speed (eg, 5 m/min). A first outward process is performed. In the first outbound process, while the vehicle shape sensor 9 detects the shape of the vehicle 70 to be washed, each rotating brush rotates to wash the front, rear and top surfaces of the vehicle 70 to be washed.

At this time, the washing water S2 of the detergent is jetted from the detergent nozzle 11 preceding the top brush 4. As shown in FIG. The washing water S1 is sprayed from the water nozzle 12 preceding the detergent nozzle 11, and the washing water S1 from the water nozzle 13 following the top brush 4 is sprayed. As a result, the top brush 4 and the side brushes 5 slide on the vehicle body surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed that is wet with the washing water S1, and washing is performed with the washing water S2 containing the detergent.

When the vehicle shape sensor 9 starts detecting the vehicle shape from the front end of the vehicle 70 to be washed and the car wash machine main body 2 moves toward the rear of the vehicle 70 to be washed 70 for a predetermined distance, the taxi determination process of FIG. 4 is performed. The taxi discrimination processing constitutes a taxi discrimination section that discriminates whether or not the vehicle to be cleaned 70 is a taxi.

At step #11 of the taxi discrimination process, it is determined whether the fender mirror 70f has been detected by the vehicle shape sensor 9 or not. When the fender mirror 70f is detected, the process proceeds to step #12, where it is determined that the vehicle 70 to be cleaned is a taxi and stored. If the fender mirror 70f is not detected, the process proceeds to step #13, where it is determined that the vehicle 70 to be cleaned is not a taxi and stored.

When the vehicle to be cleaned 70 is determined to be a taxi by the taxi discrimination process, the vehicle type discrimination process of FIG. 5 is performed. The vehicle type determination processing constitutes a vehicle type determination unit that determines whether the vehicle type of the taxi is the first vehicle type other than the tall wagon type or the second tall wagon type vehicle type.

In step #31 of the vehicle type determination process, it is determined whether or not the length A (see FIG. 1) in the longitudinal direction from the fender mirror 70f to the front end of the front window 70w is 200 mm or more and 660 mm or less. If the length A is within the range of 200 mm or more and 660 mm or less, the process proceeds to step #32, and if not, the process proceeds to step #35.

At step #32, it is determined whether or not the length B (see FIG. 1) in the front-rear direction from the front end of the vehicle 70 to be washed to the front end of the front window 70w is 800 mm or more and 1000 mm or less. If the length B is within the range of 800 mm or more and 1000 mm or less, the process proceeds to step #33, and if not, the process proceeds to step #35.

At step #33, it is determined whether or not the height C (see FIG. 1) of the rear end of the bonnet 70h of the vehicle 70 to be washed is between 1000 mm and 1200 mm. If the height C is within the range of 1000 mm or more and 1200 mm or less, the process proceeds to step #34, and if not, the process proceeds to step #35.

At step #34, it is determined whether or not the height D (see FIG. 1) of the rear end of the front window 70f of the vehicle 70 to be washed is between 1430 mm and 1670 mm. If the height D is within the range of 1430 mm or more and 1670 mm or less, the process proceeds to step #36, and if not, the process proceeds to step #35.

The position of the rear end of the front window 70f is such that the angle of inclination of the tangential line viewed from the side of the R-shaped portion of the boundary between the front window 70f and the roof 70r is the inclination angle θ (for example, 30° to 40°, see FIG. 1) can be detected as the position where it starts to decrease.

At step #35, it is determined that the vehicle to be washed 70 is a taxi of the first type other than the tall wagon type, and is stored. At step #36, it is determined that the vehicle 70 to be washed is a taxi of the second type, which is a tall wagon type, and stored.

As a result, when any one of the length A, length B, height C and height D is outside the predetermined range, the vehicle type is determined to be the first vehicle type, and when all are within the predetermined range, the vehicle type is determined to be the second vehicle type. .

The vehicle type discrimination process includes determination of the length E in the longitudinal direction from the front end of the vehicle 70 to be washed to the rear end of the front window 70f (see FIG. 1) or the height F of the upper end of the fender mirror 70f (see FIG. 1). good too. That is, when any one of the length A, length B, height C, height D, length E and height F is outside the predetermined range, it is determined to be the first vehicle type, and when all are within the predetermined range. It may be determined to be the second vehicle type.

The determination range of the length E is, for example, 1500 mm or more and 1800 mm or less. The determination range of the height F is, for example, 1070 mm or more and 1200 mm or less. In addition, a length condition based on a vehicle shape other than the above may be included in the vehicle type determination process.

For example, the height G of the lower end of the fender mirror 70f (see FIG. 1) may be included, and the tilt angle θ of the front window 70w (see FIG. 1) may be included. The determination range of the height G is, for example, 900 mm or more and 1070 mm or less. The determination range of the inclination angle .theta. is, for example, 30.degree.

Also, one or more of length A, length B, height C, height D, length E, height F, and other lengths may be used as the vehicle type discrimination condition. At this time, the vehicle may be determined to be the first vehicle type when one or more of the determination conditions are outside the predetermined range, and may be determined to be the second vehicle type when all of the determination conditions are within the predetermined range.

The length A, length B, height C, height D, length E, and height F are detected from the shape of the vehicle 70 to be washed ahead of the front end of the roof 70r. Thus, the vehicle type determination process determines the vehicle type based on the shape of the vehicle ahead of the front end of the roof 70r.

When the vehicle to be washed 70 is determined not to be a taxi (non-taxi) by the taxi determination process, the vehicle to be washed 70 is washed in the normal washing mode. FIG. 6 shows the state of the normal cleaning mode of the first outward process. In the normal washing mode, the front surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed is washed by moving the standing side brushes 5 in the horizontal direction. Both side surfaces of the vehicle 70 to be washed are washed by the side brushes 5 in a standing state as the car washing machine main body 2 moves. The rear surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed is washed by moving the inclined side brushes 5 in the left-right direction.

The upper surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed is washed by the first washing pattern as the top brush 4 ascends and descends along the vehicle 70 to be washed based on the detection of the vehicle shape sensor 9 . In the first cleaning pattern, the distance between the rotating shaft of the top brush 4 and the vehicle to be cleaned 70 is set smaller (eg, 260 mm) than the radius of the top brush 4 (eg, 400 mm). As a result, the top brush 4 carries out washing with a high load, and the upper surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed can be washed with a high washing power.

When the vehicle to be cleaned 70 is determined to be the first vehicle type taxi by the taxi discrimination process and the vehicle model discrimination process, the vehicle to be cleaned 70 is washed in the first taxi cleaning mode (first cleaning mode). FIG. 7 shows the state of the first taxi cleaning mode of the first outward process.

In the first taxi washing mode, the front surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed is washed by moving the upright side brushes 5 in the horizontal direction, as in the normal washing mode. Both side surfaces of the vehicle 70 to be washed are washed by the side brushes 5 in a standing state as the car washing machine main body 2 moves. The rear surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed is washed by moving the inclined side brushes 5 in the left-right direction.

The front and rear ends of the roof 70r of the upper surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed are washed by the first washing pattern. A predetermined range (for example, 800 mm in the front-rear direction) of the central portion of the roof 70r of the vehicle 70 to be washed is washed with the second washing pattern in which the load of the top brush 4 is lower than that of the first washing pattern. As a result, it is possible to prevent damage to the company name display lamp 70e arranged in the central portion of the roof 70r.

In the second cleaning pattern, the vertical distance between the rotating shaft of the top brush 4 and the vehicle to be cleaned 70 is larger than in the first cleaning pattern, and the rotation speed of the top brush 4 is smaller. For example, in the second cleaning pattern, the distance between the rotating shaft of the top brush 4 and the vehicle 70 to be cleaned is set to 310 mm, and the rotation speed of the top brush 4 is set to 60% of the first cleaning pattern. The rotation of the top brush 4 may be stopped by setting the distance between the rotating shaft of the top brush 4 in the second cleaning pattern and the vehicle to be cleaned 70 to be equal to or greater than the radius of the top brush 4 .

In addition, the load of the top brush 4 may be lower in the second cleaning pattern than in the first cleaning pattern. Therefore, in the second washing pattern, the vertical distance between the rotating shaft of the top brush 4 and the vehicle to be washed 70 is made smaller than in the first washing pattern, the number of rotations of the top brush 4 is made smaller, and the car wash machine main body is made smaller. At least one of 2, that the traveling speed is reduced, should be satisfied.

When the vehicle to be cleaned 70 is determined to be a taxi of the second vehicle type by the taxi discrimination process and the vehicle model discrimination process, the vehicle to be cleaned 70 is washed in the second taxi cleaning mode (second cleaning mode) as shown in FIG. be done.

In the second taxi washing mode, like the normal washing mode, the front surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed is washed by moving the upright side brushes 5 in the left-right direction. Both side surfaces of the vehicle 70 to be washed are washed by the side brushes 5 in a standing state as the car washing machine main body 2 moves. The rear surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed is washed by moving the inclined side brushes 5 in the left-right direction. At this time, the distance between the rotating shaft of the side brush 5 and the rear surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed is set larger than in the first taxi washing mode.

In the second taxi washing mode, the front and rear ends of the roof 70r of the vehicle 70 to be washed are washed according to the second washing pattern. The central portion of the roof 70r of the vehicle 70 to be washed is washed with the first washing pattern. For example, the front end of the roof 70r is washed from 300 mm forward to 300 mm rearward, and the rear end of the roof 70r is washed from 300 mm forward to 200 mm rearward in the second washing pattern. As a result, damage to the company name indicator lights 70c and 70d arranged at the front and rear ends of the roof 70r can be prevented.

At this time, the vehicle type determination process determines the vehicle type based on the shape of the vehicle ahead of the front end of the roof 70r detected by the vehicle shape sensor 9 arranged closer to the entrance surface 2a than the top brush 4. Therefore, when the vehicle 70 to be cleaned is a taxi of the second vehicle type, the vehicle type can be determined by the vehicle type determination process before the top brush 4 reaches the company name display lamp 70c at the front end of the roof 70r. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent damage to the company name indicator lamp 70c.

Further, since the distance between the rotating shaft of the side brush 5 and the rear surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed is increased, it is possible to more reliably prevent damage to the company name indicator lamp 70d.

In the second taxi washing mode, the rear surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed may be washed by the standing side brushes 5 . As a result, the distance between the side brush 5 and the company name indicator lamp 70d at the rear end of the roof 70r can be increased, so that the company name indicator lamp 70d can be prevented from being damaged.

When washing up to the rear surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed is completed, as shown in FIG. 4, the car wash machine main body 2 is reversed and moved to the front of the vehicle 70 to be washed (arrow H2) to perform a first return process. In the first return process, washing water S1, which is city water, is sprayed from the water nozzles 12 and 13 while the rotating brush rotates. As a result, the vehicle 70 to be washed is washed with water and rinsed with the detergent.

At this time, similarly to the first outbound process, when the vehicle 70 to be washed is not a taxi, washing is performed in the normal washing mode. When the vehicle 70 to be washed is a taxi of the first type, washing is performed in the first taxi washing mode. If the vehicle to be washed 70 is a taxi of the second type, washing is performed in the second taxi washing mode.

When washing up to the front surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed is completed, the first return process is completed, and the rotation of the rotating brush is stopped. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the car wash machine main body 2 is reversed and moved to the rear of the vehicle 70 to be washed (arrow H1) to perform the second outward process. In the second outward process, the air flow K1 is sent out from the top blower nozzle 21 and the side blower nozzle 22 to dry the vehicle 70 to be washed. When the second outward process ends, the car wash ends, and the vehicle 70 to be washed moves forward.

According to the present embodiment, when the vehicle 70 to be washed is a tall wagon type taxi of the first type, the central portion of the roof 70r is washed by the second washing pattern with a low load by the top brush 4. FIG. Also, when the vehicle 70 to be cleaned is a taxi of the second type other than the tall wagon type, the front and rear ends of the roof 70r are cleaned in the second cleaning pattern. Therefore, damage to the company name indicator lamps 70c, 70d, and 70e can be prevented.

Further, the vehicle shape sensor 9 is arranged closer to the entrance surface 2a than the top brush 4, and the vehicle type is determined based on the shape of the vehicle ahead of the front end of the roof 70r by the vehicle type determination processing (vehicle type determination unit). Therefore, when the vehicle 70 to be cleaned is a taxi of the second vehicle type, the vehicle type can be determined by the vehicle type determination process before the top brush 4 reaches the company name display lamp 70c at the front end of the roof 70r. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent damage to the company name indicator lamp 70c.

In addition, the longitudinal length A from the fender mirror 70f to the front end of the front window 70w, the longitudinal length B from the front end of the vehicle 70 to be cleaned to the front end of the front window 70w, and the rear end of the bonnet 70h of the vehicle 70 to be cleaned. height C, height D of the rear end of the front window 70f of the vehicle 70 to be washed, length E in the front-rear direction from the front end of the vehicle 70 to be washed to the rear end of the front window 70f, and height F of the fender mirror 70f. The vehicle type of the vehicle to be cleaned is determined based on (1). As a result, it is possible to easily distinguish between the first vehicle type other than the tall wagon type and the second vehicle type tall wagon type.

In addition, the length A is 200 to 660 mm, the length B is 800 to 1000 mm, the height C is 1000 to 1200 mm, the height D is 1430 to 1670 mm, and the length E is If at least one of 1500 to 1800 mm and a height F of 1070 to 1200 mm is satisfied, the second vehicle type is determined. This makes it possible to reliably distinguish between the first vehicle type and the second vehicle type.

Further, since the vehicle type of the vehicle to be cleaned 70 is determined based on all of the length A, length B, height C and height D, the first vehicle type and the second vehicle type can be determined more reliably. .

The taxi discrimination processing (taxi discrimination section) determines that the vehicle 70 to be cleaned is a taxi when the fender mirrors 70f are detected by the vehicle shape sensor 9, and determines that the vehicle 70 to be cleaned is not a taxi when the fender mirrors 70f are not detected. judge not. This makes it possible to easily determine whether the vehicle to be washed 70 is a taxi or not.

In addition, since the vertical distance between the rotating shaft of the top brush 4 and the vehicle 70 to be washed in the second washing pattern is made larger than in the first washing pattern, damage to the company name indicator lamps 70c, 70d and 70e can be easily prevented. . Since the number of revolutions of the top brush 4 in the second cleaning pattern is made smaller than that in the first cleaning pattern, damage to the company name indicator lamps 70c, 70d and 70e can be easily prevented. Further, by making the running speed of the car wash machine main body 2 in the second washing pattern lower than that in the first washing pattern, it is possible to easily prevent damage to the company name indicator lamps 70c, 70d, and 70e.

In addition, the side brushes 5, which can be switched between an upright state and an inclined state, wash the rear surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed in the inclined state, and in the second taxi washing mode, the rotation axis of the side brushes 5 is greater than that in the first taxi washing mode. and the rear surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed is increased. As a result, damage to the company name display lamp 70d by the side brush 5 can be prevented.

In the second taxi washing mode, the rear surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed may be washed by the standing side brushes 5 . As a result, the distance between the side brush 5 and the company name indicator lamp 70d can be increased, so that the side brush 5 can prevent the company name indicator lamp 70d from being damaged.

Further, the rear surface of the vehicle 70 to be washed may be washed by reducing the rotational speed of the side brushes 5 in the second taxi washing mode as compared to the first taxi washing mode.

In this embodiment, the remote panel 7 or the operation panel 8 may be provided with a fender mirror button for instructing that the vehicle 70 to be washed is provided with the fender mirrors 70f. At this time, the taxi determination process determines that the vehicle to be cleaned 70 is a taxi when the fender mirror button is operated, and determines that the vehicle to be cleaned 70 is not a taxi when the fender mirror button is not operated. This makes it possible to easily determine whether the vehicle 70 to be washed is a taxi.

<Second embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment will be described. This embodiment determines whether or not the vehicle 70 to be cleaned is a taxi based on an instruction from the remote panel 7 . Other parts are the same as in the first embodiment.

The remote panel 7 is provided with a taxi button (not shown) for indicating that the vehicle 70 to be cleaned is a taxi. When the user stops the vehicle 70 to be washed in front of the remote panel 7 and starts setting the washing conditions, the taxi determination process shown in FIG. 10 is performed.

At step #21 of the taxi discrimination process, the process waits until the input of the car wash conditions is completed. When the input of the car wash conditions is completed, it is determined at step #22 whether or not the taxi button has been operated. If the taxi button has been operated, the process proceeds to step #23 and stores that the vehicle 70 to be cleaned is a taxi. If the taxi button has not been operated, the process proceeds to step #24 and it is stored that the vehicle 70 to be cleaned is not a taxi.

When the car wash is started and the vehicle 70 to be washed is a taxi and the car wash machine main body 2 advances for a predetermined distance, the above-described vehicle type discrimination processing of FIG. 5 is performed. Then, as in the first embodiment, the car is washed according to the vehicle type.

According to the present embodiment, damage to the company name indicator lamps 70c, 70d, and 70e can be prevented in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

Further, the taxi discrimination processing (taxi discrimination section) determines that the vehicle 70 to be cleaned is a taxi when the taxi button is operated, and determines that the vehicle 70 to be cleaned is not a taxi when the taxi button is not operated. As a result, even if the vehicle 70 to be washed is a standard-sized vehicle whose shape is very similar to that of a tall wagon taxi, it can be easily determined whether it is a taxi or not.

The taxi button is usually provided to determine whether or not there is a company name indicator light on the roof of the taxi vehicle, but it is not limited to that and is used to determine whether or not there is a protrusion on the roof such as a roof carrier. Including those provided in

In the first and second embodiments, a company name indicator light 70e may be provided in the central portion of the roof 70r of the taxi of the second vehicle type. Therefore, when the vehicle shape sensor 9 detects a protruding object in the center of the roof 70r of the vehicle 70 to be cleaned, which is determined to be the second type of taxi and is cleaned in the second taxi cleaning mode, the center of the roof 70r is detected. It may be cleaned according to the second cleaning pattern. As a result, it is possible to prevent damage to the company name display lamp 70e attached to the central portion of the roof 70r of the taxi of the second vehicle type. Further, in the case of such a vehicle, the front and rear ends of the roof 70r may be washed according to the first washing pattern assuming that there are no vehicle name indicator lamps 70c and 70d at the front and rear ends of the roof 70r. As a result, it is possible to reduce unwashed front and rear ends of the roof 70r.

Further, the car wash machine 1 may be a continuous car wash machine in which the car wash machine main body 2 is fixed and the vehicle to be washed 70 is conveyed by a conveyor or the like.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY According to the present invention, it can be used in a car wash machine equipped with a vehicle shape sensor for detecting the vehicle shape.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 car wash machine 2 car wash machine main body 2a entrance surface 2b exit surface 2c ceiling portion 2d stand portion 3 wheel 4 top brush 5 side brush 6 rocker brush 7 remote panel 8 operation panel 9 vehicle shape sensor 11 detergent nozzle 12, 13, 15 water nozzle 20 blower 21 top blower nozzle 22 side blower nozzle 30 tank housing 31 distribution pipe 41, 42 coat nozzle 60 rail 70 vehicle to be washed 70c, 70d, 70e company name indicator light 70f fender mirror 70h bonnet 70r roof 70w front window A, B , E Length C, D, F, G Height L Ground K1 Air flow S1, S2 Wash water θ Tilt angle

Claims (13)

a car wash machine body that moves relative to the vehicle to be washed in the front-rear direction; a top brush that is vertically supported by the car wash machine body with a rotating shaft arranged in the left-right direction and that cleans the upper surface of the vehicle to be washed; a vehicle shape sensor attached to the car wash machine body for detecting the shape of the vehicle; a taxi discrimination unit for determining whether the vehicle to be washed is a taxi; and a vehicle type determination unit that determines the vehicle type based on
When the discrimination result of the car model discriminating unit is the first car model, the front end portion and the rear end portion of the roof of the vehicle to be cleaned are washed by the first washing pattern in which the load of the top brush is high. A first washing mode for washing the central portion of the roof of the vehicle to be washed by the second washing pattern with a low load by the top brush, and a front end portion of the roof of the vehicle to be washed by the second washing pattern in the case of a second vehicle type. and a second washing mode for washing the rear end. The vehicle shape sensor is arranged closer to the entrance surface of the car wash machine body than the top brush, and the vehicle type discriminating unit discriminates the vehicle type of the vehicle to be washed based on the shape of the vehicle ahead of the front end of the roof of the vehicle to be washed. The car wash machine according to claim 1, characterized by: The vehicle type discriminating unit measures the length in the longitudinal direction from the fender mirror of the vehicle to be cleaned to the front end of the front window, the length in the longitudinal direction from the front end of the vehicle to be cleaned to the front end of the front window, and the height of the rear end of the bonnet of the vehicle to be cleaned. height of the rear end of the front window of the vehicle to be washed; length in the longitudinal direction from the front end of the vehicle to be washed to the rear end of the front window; and height of the upper end of the fender mirror of the vehicle to be washed. 3. The car wash machine according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle type is discriminated. The vehicle type discriminating unit has a longitudinal length of 200 to 660 mm from the fender mirror of the vehicle to be cleaned to the front end of the front window, and a longitudinal length of 800 to 800 mm from the front end of the vehicle to the front end of the front window. The height of the rear end of the bonnet of the vehicle to be washed is 1000 to 1200 mm. The height of the rear end of the front window of the vehicle to be washed is 1430 to 1670 mm. If at least one of the length to the rear end in the front-rear direction is 1500 to 1800 mm and the height of the upper end of the fender mirror of the vehicle to be washed is 1070 to 1200 mm, it is determined to be the second vehicle type. 4. A car wash machine according to claim 3. The vehicle type discriminating unit measures the length in the longitudinal direction from the fender mirror of the vehicle to be cleaned to the front end of the front window, the length in the longitudinal direction from the front end of the vehicle to be cleaned to the front end of the front window, and the height of the rear end of the bonnet of the vehicle to be cleaned. 5. The car wash machine according to claim 3, wherein the type of vehicle to be washed is discriminated based on the height and the height of the rear end of the front window of the vehicle to be washed. The taxi discriminating unit determines that the vehicle to be cleaned is a taxi when the vehicle shape sensor detects the fender mirrors, and determines that the vehicle to be cleaned is not a taxi when the fender mirrors are not detected. The car wash machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5. An operation unit for accepting a car wash is provided, and a fender mirror button for instructing that a fender mirror is provided is provided in the operation unit, and the taxi discrimination unit is to be washed when the fender mirror button is operated. The car wash machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the vehicle is determined to be a taxi and the vehicle to be washed is not determined to be a taxi when the fender mirror button is not operated. An operation unit for accepting a car wash is provided, and a taxi button for instructing that the vehicle to be washed is a taxi is provided in the operation unit, and the taxi discrimination unit determines whether the vehicle to be washed is a taxi when the taxi button is operated. The car wash machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein it determines that the vehicle to be washed is not a taxi when it determines that the vehicle is a taxi and the taxi button is not operated. In the second washing pattern, the vertical distance between the rotating shaft of the top brush and the vehicle to be washed is larger than that in the first washing pattern, or the number of revolutions of the top brush is smaller, or the car wash main body travels. The car wash machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the speed is small. When the vehicle shape sensor detects a protruding object in the center of the roof of the vehicle to be cleaned, the center of the roof is washed according to the second washing pattern in the second washing mode. A car wash machine according to any one of claims 9 to 10. A side brush is provided which is supported by the car wash machine main body so as to be able to move left and right with a rotating shaft arranged in a vertical direction, and which cleans the side and rear surfaces of the vehicle to be washed. It is possible to switch between a set state and a tilted state in which the lower part is tilted backward,
The rear surface of the vehicle to be washed is washed in the inclined state, and the distance between the rotating shaft of the side brush and the rear surface of the vehicle to be washed is larger in the second washing mode than in the first washing mode. The car wash machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10. A side brush is provided which is supported by the car wash machine main body so as to be able to move left and right with a rotating shaft arranged in a vertical direction, and which cleans the side and rear surfaces of the vehicle to be washed. It is possible to switch between a set state and a tilted state in which the lower part is tilted backward,
In the first washing mode, the rear surface of the vehicle to be washed is washed in the tilted state, and in the second washing mode, the rear surface of the vehicle to be washed is washed in the standing state. The car wash machine according to any one of A side brush is provided which is supported by the car wash machine main body so as to be horizontally movable with a rotating shaft arranged in the vertical direction, and which cleans the side and rear surfaces of the vehicle to be washed, wherein the side brush is the first washing machine in the second washing mode. 11. The car wash machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the rear surface of the vehicle to be washed is washed at a lower rotational speed than in the washing mode.

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